Some cases of terrorism around the world that are not terrorist at all

After more than a year of mostly dealing with the terrorism investigation against my partner Andrej Holm, and the resulting total surveillance directed at him and our family, it has become more quiet lately for us. The investigation is still going on though. In the course of my new preoccupation 'terrorism' I keep hearing about similarly absurd cases of such investigations. All different, but all with analogies. All hard to bear for those who are subjected tot them. The talk will introduce some cases and search for patterns in cases against 'terrorists' who are clearly not terrorists.

Some of the cases I'd like to present some details about:

Two researchers from Nottingham, UK, were arrested after one of them had downloaded (quite legally) an Al-Qaeda handbook and the other had helped him print it. The latter barely avoided being deported to Marocco as a result. -> freehicham.co.uk

Portugal has passed a new law against terrorism after 9/11. Next to several cases against right-wingers there is one investigation going on against anti-authoritarian political activists, who destroyed a genetically modified corn field, in broad daylight and with media accompanying them. There is video coverage of this. They are now awaiting trial. -> solimove.liveinfo.nl

Ten animal rights activists from Austria will face trial eventually after having spent more than three months in pre-trial detention. They are accused of forming a criminal organisation, based mainly on the assumption of 'conspiratorial behaviour' (they used encryption) and the fact that they active in the field of animal rights or animal protection -> antirep2008.lnxnt.org.

New Zealand also has a new 'Terrorism Suppression Act', and the first case was opened againt 17 people, partly Maori, partly white, who are accused of having violated the Arms Act. The terrorism charge has in the meantime been dropped, but pre trial hearings started were in September and opened in October -> october15thsolidarity.info

Along with these cases I will mention several German cases of so-called terrorism that were dropped by the prosecutor this year. They include one against alleged members of the 'militant group' (same charge as Andrej, but different people), one against the alleged members of the 'militant campaig against the G8 summit' (as was invented by the prosecutor) and a third against approx. ten young antifascist activists in a small town in northern Germany.